FORESTRY FUND FOR LOCAL COMPANIES AND RESEARCHERS INVITING MORE APPLICATIONS
Photo credit: CBC
Pictou County companies can apply for a second round of money from the Forestry Innovation Transition Trust starting this Sunday, and all through the month of November. It’s a $50-million-dollar pot of money being used to develop the Nova Scotia forestry sector. Twenty-two applications were received in the first round. Those applications are now being reviewed with decisions expected in early December. The money in the first and second rounds of applications is available to local companies, organizations, colleges or universities researching the forestry and biological resources sectors. A three-member trustee board will review submissions and make spending decisions. An application guide and forms are online at: novascotia.ca/forestry-trust/
GAS & DIESEL PRICES DROP IN N.S.
Nova Scotia gas prices are following New Brunswick’s lead this week. Pump prices for gas are down by 1.7 cents per litre this morning, hitting 91.5 cents. Diesel is cheaper by a penny.
HOUSTON CRITIZES PRIEMIER FOR DELAYING FALL LEGISLATURE
Photo: Tory Leader Tim Houston (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keith Doucette)
Tory Leader Tim Houston is criticizing the Premier’s tardiness in recalling the fall legislature. The longer Stephen McNeil waits, the shorter the fall sitting will be. Houston says McNeil’s has been one of the most secretive governments the province has ever seen. He says Nova Scotians are never well-served when things take place behind closed doors.
Houston is also criticizing the NSLCs move to provide home delivery of booze by saying he doesn’t think Nova Scotia’s largest liquor retailer should be in the business of booze delivery. Houston says he’s worried the liquor commission is broaching into an area well “beyond their mandate.” Health Minister Leo Glavine is now echoing those concerns. He says availability and over-drinking often go hand-in-hand.
EDUCATION MINISTER SAYS TEACHER RETIREMENTS HAVE DROPPED THIS YEAR
Education Minister Zach Churchill during a cabinet meeting Thursday. (CBC)
Provincial Education Minister Zach Churchill says from where he sits, the school year is going well so far, despite the “very real” fatigue that many people, including teachers, are living with. Contrary to popular opinion, he says the number of teachers retiring this year has dropped from last year. In addition, among the 372 schools in Nova Scotia, Churchill says more than 450 people have been hired for support staff positions.
NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS ON SUCCESS OF THE ATLANTIC BUBBLE
The New York Times has caught wind of our COVID-19 success in the Atlantic Bubble. The influential newspaper and its websites are running a story saying Canadians in general, are traditionally respectful of political leaders, no matter how Liberal or Conservative they might be. That, it says, along with Atlantic Canada closing its border to travellers who refuse two weeks of mandatory quarantine, is the secret to our region keep coronavirus case-loads low.
There were no new COVID infections announced by the Nova Scotia health department in the latest update. But there are still four ongoing infections. There are also some new rules to follow for safer, pandemic trick or treating this weekend, and those are available on provincial and police websites.
SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAG BAN STARTS TODAY IN NOVA SCOTIA
Nova Scotia’s ban of single-use plastic bags takes effect Oct. 30, 2020. File / Global News
A reminder that today is the day that single use plastic bags come to an end at Nova Scotia cash registers. The plastics are no longer legal to use, so now is the time to put your re-usable shopping bags in the car and plan ahead. The ban is part of the Plastics Reduction Act introduced one year ago.
FLAG RAISING CEREMONY HAPPENING TODAY AT NORTH NOVA
As we near the end of Mi’kmaq History Month, the Mi’kmaq Grand Council Flag will be installed on the new flag poles in front of North Nova Education Centre. A flag raising ceremony is set to take place later this morning (Friday, October 30th 11:15am), but due to Covid-19 restrictions, the ceremony will not be open to the general public. Tonya Francis of Pictou Landing First Nation will be performing a smudging ceremony and Grade 12 student, Shyanna Denny, will be speaking about the significance of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council Flag.
Dozens of activist groups who claim to represent millions of Americans from both political parties plan to hit the streets next week. They plan to do that if President Donald Trump appears to be interfering with vote counting or manipulating poll results after U-S Election Day. The “Protect the Results” coalition of over 130 groups from Planned Parenthood to Republicans for the Rule of Law, has about 400 events planned so far. People are prepping to demonstrate “as early as the afternoon of next Wednesday, November 4,” the day after Election Day. They’re just waiting for text messages to get them started.
